Machine for making glass sheets



E. GREGORY MAGkilNE: FQR MAKING GLASS SHEETS Filed Sept. l5 1921 2 Sheets-Shea'"fI l www@ 3m., E, w24

E. @REQ-'ASEE' EINE FOR MAKING GLASS SHEETS MAC Filed Sepz. l5 1921 2 SheBtS-Sheeh 2 Patented Jan. l, i524.

EDWARD GREGORY, OF NEW] EAGLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

FOR MAKING GLASS SHEETS.

Application `ilei September 15, 1921.' Serial Ill'o. 500,735.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD GREGORY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Eagle, in the count of Washington and State of Pennsylvania,A have in vented -certain new and useful Improveinmts in Machines for Making Glass Sheets; and I dodeclare the following to be a cfull, clear,

and exact description of t-he invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the Same.

AThis invention relatesl to an improved m21-, chine which .is designed formaking glass.

sheets, and it has for its principal object to devise a machine which is such 1n construction that it permits manufacturers of glass sheets tov produce the latter by a roll!4 'ing process instead of by the ordinary method of blowing the glass intol cylindrical forms and splitting the saine, after which they4` must necessarily be flattened into sheets. y

Another object of the invention is Ato provide a glassmaking machine of this class which embodies an inclined chute through which the molten glass passes,-there being Aheating means extending into the chute and acting on the molten glass to insure that it will, be kept in a liquid shape while flowing downwardly through the chute, together with novel means arranged at an advantageous point for equally distributing the molten glass over the entire surface of the bottom of the chute so that it willbe properly thinned-before being discharged from the chute.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of this class embodying the aforesaid structure together with two or more water cooled rollers positioned at the discharge end of the chute -for flattening and cooling theglass as it passes between them.

Another object of the invention is to provvide especially constructed cooling rollers wherein a spraying device is arranged inside of the roller and feeds a continuous spray of cold water against an advantageous point of the roller for effectively cooling the hot glass, together with a discharge pipe whicli has the additional function of form` ing one of the journals for the roller in which it is positioned.

Otherobjects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawingsforming a part of thisspecification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesaine: V

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of va glass making. machine constructed in accordance' with this invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof with a portion of the cover plate of the chute broken awayl to disclose the intekrnal detailsv of the chute more clearly. v

Figure 3 is a central hmgitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 3-B of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is van enlarged detail section taken substantiallyon. the plane of the line H of Fig. 3.'

, In carrying out the invention, I make use of a chute l of suitable shape and size, the same being preferably substantially .rectangular and'made up of a plurality of fire-proof cla-y slabs which are shaped 'and cut to pro` vide an inlet 2 at one fend and a'. discharge 3 at the opposite end. The chute is supported in an inclined position by means of' a suitable supporting frame fi which includes adjustable legs 5 for varying the degree of vinclination of. the chute. Referring to the chute againyit vwill be seen that the top plate thereof is formed with a plurality of openings through which gas jets 6 or other suitable heating devices are extended for the purpose of maintaining the molten glass in a liquid state' as it flows downwardly through the chute. lt is desirableto con trol the flow of giass through the chute and I therefore make use of a valve 7 which ex tends transversely across the chute and is equipped with a crank handle 8 for the purpose ofvarying the flow of glass'. To render the device extremelyeective, it is'desirable to insurethat the flowing mass will be uniformly distributed over the entire inner surface of the bottom ofthe chute, and I 'therefore employ a plurality of spaced bai-- of the molten glass, and are spaced apart to permit the glass to flow between them so that the glass will not he deflected in masses towards the opposite' sides of the chute 'as would otherwise occur. Whenv the li uit?4` glass leaves the chute it passes throng a tom of the chute and extends transversely l between the sidesl and is disposed adjacent the discharge opening 3. U Q The invention in addition. to embodying the parts so far described includes a pair of horizontally disposedparallel rollers 11V which are rotatably mounted on suitable supports l2. These rollers are spaced slig tly apart for passage of the liquid'glass cooling their outer surface and in turn cool` between them anda cooling medium is circulated inside of them for 'the purpose of ing the liquid mass which` passes between them and is eventually formed into glass sheets after being cooled to the desired de- The cooling rollers which I make use of are novel in construction and will therefore be specifically described at this point. To this end, attention is directed tothe detail view in Fig. 4 wherein it will be seen that a relatively large pipe 13 is extended into each roller and terminates at about the center and this pipe constituting anjoutlet for the water Which falls into the bottom of the rotating rolle-r. While on this pipe, lit is to be noted that that portion. which extends throu'gh'theleft-hand lend of the drum is rotatably mounted in the bearing in' the adjacent supporting member 12 and 'thus constitutes a journal for this end of the roller. Proceeding, it vis to be stated that a relatively smaller vfeed Water pipe 13 ex tends through the pipe l2 and is provided on its inner end with a sprayer. head l5l which is considerably long and sprays the cool Water against that portion of the roller against which the hot glass flows. With this construction and arrangement it Will be seen that a continuous circulation of waterwill be kept up during the rotation of the rollers and the latter will be kept in an exceedingly cool shape and the glass in turn will be readily cooled and eventuallyplaced in condition for the final flatteningr steps as it passes through vadditional cooling rollers such as will be provided in practical use but which are not shovvnein the drawings. This leads me to state at this point that any number of additional rollers may be employed or a conveyor or other suitable means associated vwith the rollers ll for carrying the glasssheet to a suitable point of discharge. A

In operation it will be seen that the moltenl -glass Will be discharged into the chute through the opening 2 from the outlet O'of the melting furnace F and will flow by gravity over the inner surface of the bott-mof the inclined chute, the amount of liquid permitted to pass through thdrij'thute, being controlled b the valve 7 whie'lti is operated by hand. s the flowing mass encounters the vbaffles or delectors 9, it spread uniformly over the entire surface of the bottom of the chute and passes through the comb-like member'lOafter which it is dis-' charged through the outlet 3. in small jets. i

These jets'mer'ge intoone another ivhen con-` tacting the cooling rollers 11 and flow be tweenthe latter in a sheet which is partiallyjcooled and after passingbetween ad'- ditional rollers, is cooled and flattened and cut into the desired sheets. the molten glass passes through the chute, the llames from the jets play upon it and in-r sure that it will be kept in a liquid state.

Iiy carefully considering the description .in connection with the drawings, persons familiar with devices 'of this class ivill doubtless lbe able to obtain 'a clear understanding of the invention. T herefore,amore lengthy' and detailed description is deemed unnecessary.

Since probably the best results may be obtained With the construction and arrange- .for spreading the molten glass dver the entire surface of the bottom before it is discharged from the chute' and onto the cooling rollers. l

2. A machine for making glass comprising a chute for the molten glass to pass through, said chute being formed at oneend .with an inlet and at its opposite end with a dischargevopening, and a comb-like member secured to the chute adjacentthe discharge opening for compelling the molten glass to pass through the discharge open-Y ings in small jets.' i

- 3. The structure set forth in claim 2, together with a plurality of deflectors arranged -in advance of the comb-like `member for insuring a uniform distribution of the glass over the entire surface of the bottom of the chute, and a valve arranged in the latter -tor .controlling the flow of the glass. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EDWARD GREGORY,

Of course, as i' iso 

